The present invention relates to a tone generation method for generating a tone by generating and interconnecting tone waveform data corresponding to a plurality of partial time sections and a tone-generating-data recording method for generating the tone waveform data, as well as a storage medium having the tone generating data recorded thereon.
Various waveform-memory-based tone generators are known today as tone generators for electronic musical instruments and the like, in which one or more cycles of tone waveform data corresponding to a predetermined tone color are prestored in a memory and a continuous tone waveform is generated by repetitively reading out the prestored waveform data at a readout rate corresponding to a pitch of a tone to be generated. Some of the known waveform-memory-based tone generators are constructed to not only merely read out the memory-stored waveform data for generation of a tone but also process the waveform data in accordance with selected tone color data before outputting them as a tone. For example, regarding the tone pitch, it has been known to modulate the waveform data readout rate in accordance with an optionally-selected pitch envelope to thereby impart a pitch modulation effect such as a vibrato. Regarding the tone volume, it has been known to add an amplitude envelope based on a given envelope waveform to the read-out waveform data or periodically modulate the tone volume amplitude of the read-out waveform data to thereby impart a tremolo effect or the like. Regarding the tone color, it has been known to perform a filtering process on the read-out waveform data for appropriate tone color control.
Further, as one example of the waveform-memory-based tone generators, there has been known the sampler which is constructed to form a tone using waveform data recorded by a user or supplied by a maker of the tone generator.
Also known is the digital recorder which collectively samples successive tones (i.e., a phrase) actually performed live and records the sampled tones or phrase into a single recording track and which then reproduces individual phase waveforms thus-pasted to a plurality of the tracks.
Furthermore, as a tone recording scheme for CD (Compact Disk) recording, it has been well known to record, in PCM data, all tone waveform data of a single music piece actually performed live.
Generally, in the above-mentioned waveform-memory-based tone generators, waveform data covering an attack portion through a release portion of a tone or attack and loop portions of a tone are stored in a waveform memory. Thus, in order to realize a great number of tone colors, it has been absolutely necessary to store a multiplicity of waveform data and it has been very difficult, if not impossible, to generate tones corresponding to various styles of rendition (performing techniques) employed by a human player.
Further, with such a sampler where no waveform data of a desired tone color are not stored in the memory, it has been necessary to either newly record such waveform data or acquire the waveform data from a CD or the like.
Furthermore, with the above-mentioned digital recorder storing the waveform data of all samples, there has been a need for a large-capacity storage medium.
To provide solutions to the above-discussed problems and inconveniences, the inventors of the present invention have developed an interactive high-quality tone making technique which, in generating tones using an electronic musical instrument or other electronic apparatus, achieves realistic reproduction of articulation and also permits free tone creating and editing operations by a user. The inventors of the present invention also have developed a technique which, in waveform generation based on such an interactive high-quality tone making technique, can smoothly interconnect waveform generating data corresponding to adjoining partial time sections of a desired tone. It should be understood that the term xe2x80x9carticulationxe2x80x9d is used herein to embrace concepts such as a xe2x80x9csyllablexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cconnection between tonesxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cgroup of a plurality of tones (i.e., phrase)xe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cpartial characteristics of a tonexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cstyle of tone generation (or sounding)xe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cstyle of rendition (i.e., performing technique)xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cperformance expressionxe2x80x9d and that in performance of a musical instrument, such xe2x80x9carticulationxe2x80x9d generally appears as a reflection of the xe2x80x9cstyle of renditionxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cperformance expressionxe2x80x9d employed by a human player. Such tone data making and tone synthesizing techniques are designed to analyze articulation of tones, carry out tone editing and tone synthesizing processes using each articulation element as a basic processing unit, and thereby execute tone synthesis by modeling the tone articulation. This technique is also referred to as SAEM (Sound Articulation Element Modeling).
The SAEM technique, which uses basic data obtained by analyzing and extracting tone waveforms of partial time sections in correspondence with various tone factors, such as tone color, volume and pitch, can change or replace, as necessary, the basic data corresponding to the individual tone factors in each of the partial time sections and also can smoothly connect the waveforms of adjoining partial time sections. Thus, the SAEM technique permits creation of articulation-containing tone waveforms with good controllability and editability.
However, there has been a strong demand for minimization of a necessary storage capacity of storage means for storing the basic data and other tone-waveform generating data.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tone generation method which, in an application where a desired tone color is produced by combining tone waveforms of a plurality of partial time sections, can generate tones of an increased number of tone colors with a reduced quantity of data and a tone-generating-data recording method, as well as a storage medium having tone generating data recorded thereon.
In relation to the above object, the present invention also seeks to provide a data editing technique which affords an improved convenience of use in various applications.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a tone generation method for generating tone waveform data on the basis of given performance information, which comprises: a step of selecting wave part data suiting the given performance information from among wave part data that are to be used for generating tone waveform data corresponding to a partial time section of a tone, the wave part data designating a combination of template data indicative of respective variations of a plurality of tone factors in the partial time section; and a step of using the selected wave part data to generate tone waveform data corresponding to the partial time section of the tone, the tone waveform data corresponding to the partial time section of the tone being generated on the basis of respective template data for the plurality of tone factors contained in the wave part data.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management method for use in a system for generating tone waveform data, which comprises a step of introducing a tone generating data file into the system for generation of tone waveform data, the tone generating data file being at least one of first-type and second-type tone generating data files. Here, the first-type tone generating data file includes: wave part data for generating tone waveform data corresponding to a partial time section of a tone, the wave part data including data designating template data that are indicative of respective variations of a plurality of tone factors in the partial time section; and a set of the template data designated by the wave part data and indicative of the respective variations of the plurality of tone factors in the partial time section. The second-type tone generating data file includes: the above-mentioned wave part data; information instructing that template data present in a predetermined other tone generating data file should be used for at least one template data of the set of the template data designated by the wave part data; and the remaining template data of the set of the template data designated by the wave part data. The management method of the invention further comprises a step of, when the second-type tone generating data file is introduced into the system by the introducing step, determining whether or not the predetermined other tone generating data file is already introduced in the system; and a step of issuing a predetermined warning when it has been determined that the predetermined other tone generating data file is not yet introduced in the system.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management method for use in a system for generating tone waveform data, which comprises: a step of canceling, from the system, a tone generating data file having been present so far in the system for use for tone waveform data generation, the tone generating data file being at least one of first-type and second-type tone generating data files; the first-type tone generating data file including: wave part data for generating tone waveform data corresponding to a partial time section of a tone, the wave part data including data designating template data that are indicative of respective variations of a plurality of tone factors in the partial time section; and a set of the template data designated by the wave part data and indicative of the respective variations of the plurality of tone factors in the partial time section, the second-type tone generating data file including: the above-mentioned wave part data; information instructing that template data present in a predetermined other tone generating data file should be used for at least one template data of the set of the template data designated by the wave part data; and the remaining template data of the set of the template data designated by the wave part data; a step of determining whether or not the tone generating data file to be canceled by the canceling step is the predetermined other tone generating data file to be used by the second-type tone generating data file and the second-type tone generating data file using the predetermined other tone generating data file is already introduced in the system; and a step of issuing a predetermined warning prior to cancellation of the tone generating data file from the system, when an affirmative determination has been made in the step of determining.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing tone generating data, in which the tone generating data comprises a tone generating data file that includes wave part data to be used for generating tone waveform data corresponding to a partial time section of a tone, the wave part data including data designating template data that are indicative of respective variations of a plurality of tone factors in the partial time section, and a set of the template data designated by the wave part data and indicative of the respective variations of the plurality of tone factors in the partial time section. The method of the invention comprises: a step of editing template data of an already-existing tone generating data file and creating new wave part data based on the already-existing tone generating data file; and a step of storing the new wave part data and template data created and edited by the editing step as a new tone generating data file distinct from the already-existing tone generating data file.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing tone generating data wherein the tone generating data comprises a tone generating data file that includes wave part data to be used for generating tone waveform data corresponding to a partial time section of a tone, the wave part data including data designating template data that are indicative of respective variations of a plurality of tone factors in the partial time section, and a set of the template data designated by the wave part data and indicative of the respective variations of the plurality of tone factors in the partial time section, the method of the invention comprising: a step of creating new template data; a step of determining whether or not template data similar to the new template data created by the creating step is present in any already-existing tone generating data file; and a step of, when it has been determined that template data similar to the new template data is present in an already-existing tone generating data file, performing control to store information instructing that the template data similar to the new template data present in the already-existing tone generating data file should be used in place of the new template data, without storing the new template data as created.
In the above-mentioned method, the step of creating new template data creates new template data by editing template data of an already-existing tone generating data file.
The present invention may be constructed and implemented not only as the method invention as discussed above but also as an apparatus invention. Also, the present invention may be arranged and implemented as a software program for execution by a processor such as a computer or DSP, as well as a storage medium storing such a program. Further, the present invention may be implemented as a machine-readable storage medium storing tone waveform data based on the principles of the invention. Furthermore, the processor used in the present invention may comprise a dedicated processor based on predetermined fixed hardware circuitry, rather than a CPU or other general-purpose type processor capable of operating by software.